What is the difference between lobbying and bribery?

I did not find any threads about it. I hope this is the right place to post it, this is about US political madness after all.

I have thought about it for a long time.

Legal definitions from: legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com...

Bribery- The offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of something of value for the purpose of influencing the action of an official in the discharge of his or her public or legal duties.

Lobbying- The process of influencing public and government policy at all levels: federal, state, and local.

However I think of it, I see only a slim difference between them and nothing more. Lobbying is just a legal way of bribery. It is not directly giving money to individuals, but indirectly providing them support, which in most cases, has also some financial benefits in the long run a´la. hosting a fund-raiser costs money and raises money for the campaign. If the campaign wins the salary of the candidate is likely to increase etc. Not direct, but still ends up with the person being influenced gaining financial benefits.

Saying they are not different, is like saying death sentence is not a murder. It is, but just legal way of doing the same thing.

Here for example, any favour of any kind in order to influence decisions is considered bribery. Influencing the decisions of other members by making them favours is technically illegal. Sports tickets, free use of cars, nothing like that is legal. I would prefer if also any person with stocks or a position in some company, its afflitiates should not be able to vote on the matter, although that is not happening in the near future unfortunately:/

Although can anybody explain me how you see the difference between them, as for me they are practically the same thing...

The only difference is the way the envelope is handed over

If it's a person or company you like with your political party it's lobbying. If it's a person or company you hate with the other political party it's bribery.

Lobbying is essentially legal bribery.

reply to post by Cabin


Lobbying is one of the main reasons USA is filled to the brink with corruption, bankster mentality, Monsanto poisoned food, endless wars through the continuous perpetuation of the military industrial complex, stolen funds and especially pension-funds by the Wall Street banksters, skyrocketing electrical bills allowed by the energy companies, and so on...

By the dark virtues of Lobbying, that should be outlawed, congressmen become millionaires during their served term, wandering the marbled filled halls of congress like big fat hogs, elections are rigged and the "elected" elite serves at the pleasure of the true elite (Rothschild/Rockefeller/Warburg).

We should also not forget that lobbying is the reason behind the inability to impeach and imprison that SOB in the White House because every stinking Attorney in washington is bought and paid for by the ruling shadow government pulling the strings of this black puppy and his cocker spaniel wife.

reply to post by Cabin


One is labeled "LEGAL" and the other "ILLEGAL". But they are basically the same. It's just like dumping toxic waste in the ocean. If you're a nobody and dump it and get caught you go to jail. But if you're a multinational and get caught, you pay enough money and they'll give you a permit to do it.

The difference between Lobbying and Bribery?

Perspective of who is doing it, vs. who is paying it and a few years in a prison cell. That would be the difference, IMO.

reply to post by Cabin


Lobbying is bribery you get away with

With lobbying, there's a bit more of this...

Its like asking whats the difference between a hooker and a escort

Originally posted by hp1229
Its like asking whats the difference between a hooker and a escort

Best analogy I've ever heard, lol.

The difference is Bribery is socially unacceptable and Lobbying is socially acceptable because it has been supported by law.

Oddly enough.. The people who benefit from lobbying are the same ones who made it legal.. Isn't that funny?

Lobbying gets you contracts and the like worth millions. You get promotions and whatnot. If you get outed, you can laugh at the useless eaters cause it's A-OK to legally bribe politicians.

Bribery gets you the same thing except if caught, you go to jail.

To lobby means to attempt to convince someone to see your side.... to bribe means to pay someone to see your side.

There is NO difference.
In a free society....Nearly all types of influence peddaling and involuntary co ercion (like psywar techniques adapted to advertising)
would be punishable by death.

Originally posted by hp1229
Its like asking whats the difference between a hooker and a escort

A 'pimp' is to a prostitute as a lobbyist is to our gov't.

There are many groups that lobby successfully without promising anything.

AARP and the NRA come to mind. They use the power of their voting membership to make their case heard and rarely if ever promise things to the selected candidates.

It should be noted that these two are also the two largest lobby groups on Capital Hill. Corporations and other nation states will lobby with promises of lucrative jobs after the candidates finish their public service, seats on boards of directors, or very expensive speaking engagements.

Even though you may consider this bribery James Madison wrote in the Federalist papers that it would be even more dangerous not to allow these factions to have access to Congress then it would be to let them try and influence.

The primary difference between lobbying and bribery is that lobbying is generally done through a larger organization (ie the US Chamber of Commerce or ALEC) and bribery is done on an one-on-one basis. In the case of lobbying, there can be no direct financial benefit or gifts. If I recall correctly, any gifts given go to the political seat and not the individual politician (ie if Obama receives a "gift", the gift becomes a part of the White House, itself, and is left there at the end of his term). Hence why we see lobbyists throw in monies to campaign funds. A rather big to-do was made about Sarah Palin's spending on clothes and accessories for her and her family in 2010 on the RNC's pocket book. Lobbyists and private donations by citizens would've been the source for that but, once the campaign ended, she was to give it all back to the RNC for them to dispose of or store as they saw fit. She was actually mollified that she may have to hand back over the nylons and undergarments that were purchased through the RNC. Can't quite blame her for that one... Basically, monies funneled in from lobbyists to a campaign fund are supposed to be tracked and they are not supposed to derive any personal benefit for the individual beyond assistance in obtaining the desired political position. If they get misused, the DOJ comes after you, as in the case of John Edwards and his possible misuse of campaign donations (ended in a mistrial but he was facing a potential 30 year sentence and $1.5 million in fines). Overall, campaign funds and their use are sorted through with a fine-toothed comb. What doesn't "count" are non-permanent "gifts" like a trip to a private island for the weekend or lunch on behalf of lobbyists though I'd like to see them force the politicians and justices' to vomit up all the food they ate because, in my mind, it's still a personal benefit as it raises their quality of life....

Bribery, in contrast, is completely untracked. It's never on the record through they try to curb it through making the politicians' finances a matter of public record. However, that doesn't mean that politicians can't have secret bank accounts in offshore tax shelters that are not friendly with our DOJ.

Anyways, those are supposed to be the key differences between lobbying and bribery monies. In a way, lobbying monies contributed to a candidate can be seen like a bribe but it's a temporary bribe in which they are not supposed to have any long term benefit for it. At the end of the day though, it still can create a substantial change in quality of life for the period in which its used so it still stinks beyond a doubt.

Originally posted by OptimusSubprime
To lobby means to attempt to convince someone to see your side.... to bribe means to pay someone to see your side.

To be a realist is to realize that their is no difference in the outcome. Lobbyist use billions to influence gov't to see their side. It might not be direct, but in essence it achieves the same thing a bride would accomplish.



You could say lobbying is the white collar version of bribery without the consequences.

reply to post by Cabin

Maybe it would be more accurate to compare bribery with campaign contributions than "lobbying". Lobbying in and of itself is not illegal. Anyone can stop the senator in the lobby of his hotel and bend his ear about some issue. As a constituent it is your right, indeed your duty.

Like they are going to listen unless you have a suitcase full of money for the "campaign".

The "campaign" being defined as any expenses incurred during travel and politicking around the country, including first class fare, hotel suites and fine dining. The more of that the merrier, I guess. And who's going to notice a little "entertainment" on the side, like a Casino, Brothel or Caribbean vacation? Its hard work after all, campaigning all that money away.

Then go back to work in chambers on Monday and spend all your time passing that corporate tax shelter bill or defense industry budget increase.

Damn straight its bribery.